Assessment of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Practices in the Congolese Mining Sector: Prospects for Integrating an Intelligent ESG-Based Digital Scoring Tool
Keywords:
environmental assessment, ESIA, environmental governance, mining sector, digital transformationAbstract
Environmental assessment is a key governance instrument for mining projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) review processes still face challenges related to increasing project complexity, heterogeneous assessment practices and insufficient structuring of environmental information. This study aimed to assess current environmental appraisal practices in the Congolese mining sector and to explore the prospects for integrating an intelligent digital tool incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria. The methodology combined a documentary review and a survey conducted among forty stakeholders involved in environmental assessment, monitoring and regulatory oversight of mining projects. The main constraints identified were the lack of dedicated tools (82.5%), lengthy review processes (75.0%) and the absence of structured environmental databases (70.0%). In addition, 90.0% of respondents considered ESG integration relevant, while 92.5% expressed willingness to adopt an intelligent digital tool. The study concludes that such a tool could improve the efficiency, traceability and transparency of environmental appraisal processes for mining projects
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